Envelope with opening tear strip



March 17, 1970 F. H. KUNIYUKI 3,501,086

ENVELOPE WITH OPENING TEAR STRIP Filed March 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FRANK H- KU/V/ YZ/K/ BY g 14 7' TOR/V15) March 17, 1970 F. H. KUNIYUKI 3,501,086

ENVELOPE WITH OPENING TEAR STRIP Filed March 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z@ i .70 I J15 1 I 1 A. I 4 I I 1 l 12 1,

W 4 7mm nited States Patent 3,501,086 ENVELOPE WITH OPENING TEAR STRIP Frank H. Kuniyuki, 1218 W. 182nd St., Gardena, Calif. 90247 Filed Mar. 11, 1969, Ser. No. 806,066 Int. Cl. B65d 27/36 US. Cl. 229-85 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An envelope formed and folded from a single sheet which is integrally provided with a tear strip terminating in a pull tab which, when pulled, serves to tear through a wall of the envelope to open the same closely adjacent one of the closed edges of the envelope.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Opening of sealed mailing and other envelopes without use of openers and/or subjecting the contents thereof to tear damage.

Description of the prior art Known tear means comprise tear tapes or strips not initially integral with the envelope but pasted or otherwise applied thereto, the same entailing an assembly operation adding greatly to the cost of manufacture.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an envelope that is formed of a single sheet of suitable paper and formed to integrally include a tear strip extending from an edge of one of the enclosure panels of the envelope and folded to lie between two of said panels to tear through one of said panels to open the envelope when the free end of the tear strip is pulled.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the manufacture of envelopes capable of being opened without openers by being slit adjacent an edge thereof by utilizing a tear strip formed as an integral part of the single sheet of paper of which the envelope is formed, the simplification resulting from omission of preassembly with the sheet of separately applied tear strips or tapes.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, which is based on the accompanying dra wings. However, said drawings merely show, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The provision of an envelope, the blank of which the same is formed comprising a single sheet of paper, having integral front and back panels, at least one closure panel effecting closure of the envelope along three of the four sides thereof, a contents-enclosing flap along the fourth side, and a tear strip extending from one of said panels or tabs and folded over to be between the two panels or between one of the panels and said closure panel, said strip having an end which, when gripped between the fingers and pulled toward the fold line thereof tears or slits one side of the envelope to open the same for removal of the contents therefrom.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a partly broken rear view of one preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged and broken cross-sectional view as taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flat view of the blank from which the envelope shown in FIG. 1 is formed.

FIG. 4 is a partly broken rear view of another preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a fiat view of the blank from which the envelope shown in FIG. 4 is formed.

FIG. 6 is a flat view of a portion of a blank which is a modification of the blank shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary rear view of an envelope showing an alternative form of construction of the fingergrip-ping end of the tear strip.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of a portion of another preferred form of envelope construction.

FIG. 9 is a partial flat view of the blank from which the envelope of FIG. 8 is formed.

FIG. 10 is a partly broken and partly folded view of still another preferred form.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The envelope that is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a single sheet of paper having a front panel 10, a back panel 11 connected to the panel 10 along a side fold line 14. The longitudinal edge of the closure panel 10 along a bottom fold line 14, a second closure panel 15 connected to the panel 10 along a side fold line 16 opposite to the fold line 12, a closure flap 17 connected to the front panel 10 along a fold line 18 opposite to the fold line 14. The longitudinal edge of the closure panel 13 is shown with a strip of adhesive 19' and the panel 15 with an adhesive strip 20. In the usual way, the flap 17 is provided with adhesive 21.

According to the invention, the above-described blank has its closure panel 13, at the end thereof adjacent the fold line 16, provided with an extension in the form of a narrow strip 22 that extends normally relative to the fold line 14 and, therefore, parallel to thefold line 16. It is preferred that notches 23 be provided where the strip 22 extends from the panel 13. Said strip 22 has a length such that its free end, when the panel 13 is folded over, extends approximately to but preferably not beyond the fold line 18. Also, the panel 15, at its end adjacent the fold line 18, is slitted to form a tab 24. It will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the mentioned free end of the strip 22, when said strip is folded over, is in substantial register with said tab 24, said end forming a tab 25. It will be clear that said tabs 24 and 25 are superposed when the envelope is in folded condition.

The blank of FIG. 3 is formed into an envelope by folding the panel 11 over the panel 10, the panel 13 over the lower portion of the panel 11 and adhered thereto by the adhesive strip 19, the strip 22 now lying over the side edge portion of the folded-over panel 11, the panel 15 over the strip 22 and its lower end portion over the adjacent end of the panel 13 and adhered to said panels 11 and 13 but preferably not to the strip 22, and forwardly folding the superposed tabs 24 and 25, as in FIGS. 1 and 2 It will be noted that the strip 22 resides in a pocket formed between the panels 11 and 15 and retains its position therein because the notch in the panel 15 from which the tab 24 has been taken prevents lateral displacement of the forwardly folded tabs 24 and 25.

When the flap 17 is sealed, after insertion of the envelope contents, the same, at least partly, is superposed over the folded tabs 24, 25, yet leaves the ends thereof to be finger-gripped. Upon a downward pull of said tabs, the strip 22 will tear through and either tear away the portion of panel 11 lying over the strip, or slit said panel. In either case, the contents of the envelope may be extracted. The notches 23 enable the strip to be torn through the panel 13 to the fold line 14, thereby enabling tearing of the envelope open for the full width thereof so the contents, when being extracted, are not unduly crushed or crumpled.

The blank shown in FIG. has its back panel 11 joined to the front panel along the bottom fold line 14 and its edge portion 11a along one end is held in place by an adhesive-provided panel 26, as in FIG. 4. The panel 15 at the opposite end is held in place by adhesive 27 on the back panel 11. In this form, the strip 22a extends from the lower end of the panel 15, being generally coextensive with the height of the panel 11.

Said blank is folded first with the strip 22a over the panel 15, said panel 15 over panel 10, panel 11 over panel 10 and panel 15, and panel 26 over the side edge of panel 11. It will be seen that the longitudinal edge 28 of the panel 11, where the same is superposed over the folded-in strip 22a, is slit to form a tab 29 and that said tab and the free tab end 30 of the strip 2211. are superposed, as shown in FIG. 4. Also, that the sealing flap 17 does not entirely cover said superimposed tabs 29 and 30 so that the strip 2211 may be pulled, as hereinbefore described, to tear through the rear portion of the envelope to open the same for access to its contents.

The partial blank shown in FIG. 6, in the portion thereof not shown, may be similar to the portion at the left of FIG. 5. The same may have the panels 10 and 11, as well as the flap 17 of FIG. 5. The panel 15 of FIG. 6, while the same as the similarly numbered panel of FIG. 5, follows the form of FIG. 3 in that it is provided with adhesive for connection to the panel 11 and with a tab 24. The blank of FIG. 6 differs from those shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 in that the tear strip 22b with a tab end is integrally formed as a lateral extension of the panel 11 rather than as an integral extension of the panel 13, as in FIG. 3, or of panel 15, as in FIG. 5. Said strip 22b, when folded over on the panel 11 before the envelope panels are formed into an envelope, underlies one of the other panels of the envelope. Thus, when the superposed tabs 24 and 30 are pulled downwardly, said strip tears or slits the envelope to provide access, as before, to the contents thereof.

The improvements shown in FIG. 7 entail a modification of the flap 17, which is provided with a hole 31 so placed as to expose the superposed tabs 24 and 25, 29 and 30, or 24 and 30, as the case may be. Thus, the superposed tabs may be reached through said hole 31 and readily pulled downwardly through a small portion 32 of flap 17 and whatever panel of the envelope covers over the tear strip 22, 22a or 22b to effect slitting open of the envelope as described.

Still another form of envelope is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, wherein the blank has a front panel 10, a rear panel 33 of tapered form replacing the previous rectangular panel 11 or 13, and wedgeshaped side panels 34 and 35, one of which replaces the panel 26 and the other the panel 15. This form of the invention is provided with a tear strip 22c that is a folded extension of the panel 35 similar to the arrangement of FIG. 5 and, in addition, is a lateral extension of the rear panel, as in FIG. 9.

When this latter envelope is folded, the rear panel 33 and the strip 220, together, are folded on the line 14 over the front panel 10 and side panel 35. Then both strip 22c and panel 35 are folded over the folded panels 10 and 33 so the adhesive 20 on panel 35 may cause the overlapping edges of the panels 33 and 35 to be adhered, as indicated in FIG. 8.

It will be noted from the above-described forms of the invention that the tear strip may comprise an extension of one of the panels that closes the bottom longitudinal edge of the envelope, as in FIGS. 1 and 3; a longitudinal extension of one of the panels that closes a side edge of the envelope, as in FIGS. 4 and 5; a lateral extension of a side edge of the rear panel of the envelope, as in FIG. 6; or a foldable extension integrally joined to two rear panel portions, as in FIGS. 8 and 9. Still another way of providing the tear strip is shown in FIG. 10, wherein an intermediate and skeletal panel 36 is joined to the front panel 10 along the fold line 12 and the rear panels 33 and 35 are provided, as in FIGS. 8 and 9. The tear strip 22d is a laterally folded part similar to FIG. 6, except that it is joined at the free edge 37 of the panel 36 instead of the back panel 11. The only parts that are shown folded are the panel 36 and the tear strip 22d. The envelope is-completed by first folding the side panel 35 over the strip and adhering it to the adjacent portion of said panel 35 by adhesive 38, and finally folding the rear panel 33 on fold line 14 and adhering the same to the panels 35 and 36 by adhesive 39, 40 and 41, thereby enclosing the tear strip so that, when pulled, it will tear through the panel 35.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An envelope comprising a plurality of adhesively joined panels folded in the form of a rectangular contentsholding container,

(a) said panels comprising parts of a single sheet of (b) a tear strip comprising an integral extension of at least one of said panels and joined thereto along a fold line,

(0) said tear strip being folded on said line to be disposed between the panel from which it extends and one of the other panels, and

((1) said tear strip being provided with an end tab which, when pulled in a direction toward the fold thereof, tears through said other panel to form a slit through which the contents of the envelope are adapted to be extracted.

2. An envelope as defined in claim 1 in which the end tab of the tear strip and an edge portion of said other panel underlying said tab of the tear strip is formed as a tab, such that the tear strip and panel edge portion formed as a tab are superposed to be pulled simultaneously as one to form the mentioned slit.

3. An envelope as defined in claim 2 in which the superposed tabs are folded rearwardly and downwardly to lie flatwise on the rear panel of the envelope.

4. An envelope as defined in claim 2 in which the envelope is provided with a flap for closing the same after insertion of the contents thereof, said fiap having a hole therein located to expose the superposed tabs and afford access thereto for pulling thereof.

5. An envelope as defined in claim 2 in which said other panel comprises a back portion of the envelope, and the tear strip comprises an extension of a panel that, at least partly, is disposed between said other panel and the front panel of the envelope.

6. An envelope as defined in claim 2 in which the tear strip in its folded position is located in spaced adjacent relation to an edge of the envelope.

7. An envelope as defined in claim 2 in which the panel on which the tear strip is provided extends longitudinally of the envelope and is folded upwardly from the lower longitudinal edge of the envelope, the tear strip extending in a direction normal to the envelope from a point adjacent one end of said panel.

8. An envelope as defined in claim 2 in which the panel on which the tear strip is provided extends from a fold 6 line along one side edge of the envelope inwardly toward References Cited the opposite end, the tear strip being folded over upon UNITED STATES PATENTS said panel from one end thereof toward the opposite end.

*9. An envelope as defined in claim 2 in which the panel 2,141,084 12/1938 Hemphlu on which the tear strip is provided extends longitudinally r 2,956,727 10/1960 Cheva et a1 Of the envelope and is folded upwardly from the lower 0 3,394,872 7/ 1968 Robak 22986 longitudinal edge of the envelope, the tear strip being disposed in general parallelism to an end edge of the latter JOSEPH 'LECLAIR Pnmary Exammer panel and folded laterally inward over said panel edge. 5, E, LIPMAN, Assistant Examiner 

